New drug plan still source of confusion

Published: Friday, November 12, 2004 at 9:09 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, November 12, 2004 at 12:00 a.m.

To The Editor: The election's over; we have Dubya for better or worse for the next four years. He says he "earned capital in this campaign and now I intend to spend it." Though he won by 3.6 million votes, I hope he remembers that 55.1 million of us still voted against him.

He may feel he has a mandate because the religious right finds gay marriage and overturning Roe v. Wade more important than an illegal war, a horrendous budget deficit, denial of global warming, job losses and a host of other problems that'd do more to destroy our country.

I digress. Another headline: "Bush victory is relief to drug companies." Duh. Of course they're happy; the program will be carried out by officials who enthusiastically support it. There'll be no negotiations to secure lower prices for beneficiaries.

Sunday's paper says the nation's insurance commissioners say the Bush administration has made misleading statements about the new Medicare drug benefit to get people to sign up. That should've been front page news instead of buried inside.

I hope one of our more erudite and informed letter writers can explain the Medicare prescription drug plan because we'll obviously have to live with it.

<p>To The Editor: The election's over; we have Dubya for better or worse for the next four years. He says he "earned capital in this campaign and now I intend to spend it." Though he won by 3.6 million votes, I hope he remembers that 55.1 million of us still voted against him.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>He may feel he has a mandate because the religious right finds gay marriage and overturning Roe v. Wade more important than an illegal war, a horrendous budget deficit, denial of global warming, job losses and a host of other problems that'd do more to destroy our country.</p><p>I digress. Another headline: "Bush victory is relief to drug companies." Duh. Of course they're happy; the program will be carried out by officials who enthusiastically support it. There'll be no negotiations to secure lower prices for beneficiaries.</p><p>Sunday's paper says the nation's insurance commissioners say the Bush administration has made misleading statements about the new Medicare drug benefit to get people to sign up. That should've been front page news instead of buried inside.</p><p>I hope one of our more erudite and informed letter writers can explain the Medicare prescription drug plan because we'll obviously have to live with it.</p><p>Lois Baumann</p><p>Hendersonville</p>